MinistryCPA - Corey A. Pfaffe, CPA, LLC

Russ Crosson’s book,  Eight Important Money Decisions for Every Couple  (Harvest House Publishers, 2012), gets our strong recommendation as an extremely practical aid to couples wanting to better communicate about their family finances. We especially appreciate his thorough consideration of Biblical truths about marriage, husband and wife roles, and God-honoring communication. We have referenced other family financial resources in this blog, including those by Crosson’s colleague, Ron Blue ( Books for Financially Troubled Christians ). Crosson’s book is not quite as “in-your-face” as Dave Ramsey’s,  Total Money Makeover  (not without its merits), but  Eight Important Money Decisions for Every Couple  offers comprehensive instruction into the root cause of financial disharmony—a lack of discerning communication. Before Crosson initiates development of his eight money decisions in chapter five, he explores the purpose of money, the purpose of marriage...

Question: One of the wealthy men in the church was overheard by a member of the youth group, "I wish the preacher would stop ranting about giving all the time! I've got to be the biggest giver in the church already. You'd think our church was on the edge of financial ruin!" Later, at the dinner table, the young person still wrestled with the ramifications of what the man had said, "Dad and mom, why does our pastor preach about giving?" What Biblical response can these parents offer to their inquisitive teenager? Answer: Dad and mom could first remind their child of the Apostle Paul’s response when addressing a similar question, “Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver” (II Corinthians 9.7). The reasons (Paul, “purposes”) for giving to God’s work, His workers and to others is a private matter of the heart. If others cannot give joyfully, we might feel sorry ...

Question: A young man posits a question to his Christian grandfather: “Grandpa, I hope that I can someday have the smarts that you have. You have so much cool stuff—and you are always paying the bill at the restaurant and giving money to people. What is your secret to success?” How should a godly grandfather respond biblically to his grandson’s question? Answer: A Christian family might have an attitude that its position of wealth came from shrewd business strategies and hard work. At least at a time when he felt he needed an explanation to offer to his wives for his accumulation of wealth, Jacob credited God for his extensive possessions. Thus God hath taken away the cattle of your father, and given them to me (Genesis 31.9).   Moses warned the people of Israel not to think of their possessions in this way: And thou say in thine heart, My power and the might of mine hand hath gotten me this wealth. But thou shalt remember the LORD thy God: for it is he that giveth the...

First, God gives . Then, Christians respond to His generosity (1) by giving Him thanks, (2) by giving to God’s work and His workers, and (3) by giving to others. You may not find a more succinct, yet comprehensive, framework for God’s Way of Giving in the Bible than that found in Deuteronomy 26.1-13. God is the model giver—without equal. There are more than 735 specific references in the Scriptures to giving. Well over half relate to giving by God to men.          James said (1.17) “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above.” God is the originator of every good and perfect gift.          Peter said (II Peter 1.2-3) that God has “ given unto us all things that pertain unto [our] life (physically, materially, socially) and godliness (spiritually).” Over the next weeks and months, as time permits, MinistryCPA will share with our readers our understanding from the Bible of God’s Way o...

Question: Three Christian teens from a church youth group heard at school one morning that the Lance and Britney Kramer family in their community lost all their possessions in a fire the night before. They began talking about what they could do to help and by the afternoon had gained widespread support from their friends and even from many of the school teachers and staff. They agreed to give every hour of free time in the next seven days to pursuing odd jobs, selling stuff they really could do without, and soliciting donations from people in the community. It worked! At the end of the week the three teens made a public presentation to the family of money, clothes and furnishings. A lot of people showed up to the apartment building that was the new home of the Kramers; even the local news people were on hand. Lance and Britney and their kids were overwhelmed. One of the teens gave a short speech: “It’s great that we could get so much stuff in so short a time, but we did a lot of wo...

Question:   A 16-year old Christian becomes concerned that the violent and suggestive video games he owns and plays are damaging his relationship with Christ. Many are in the Mature category according to the ESRB rating system. But his collection includes some rare and valuable games that might be worth a good amount of money someday. Plus, a lot of his earnings from his part-time job has been “invested” (his word) in them. What are his alternatives? What could he do? Answer: Of course, our young man could simply ignore the conviction God has brought to him. But because he values his relationship with Him, he knows that he must make a God-honoring choice. Selling the games to someone else only shifts the temptation to others. Putting them away, out-of-sight, does not remove the temptation. He must accept the reality that the rewards for obedience are greater than any material blessings, even if it means  discarding something that others would value. One pastor has said...

Looking for a good resource to help a fellow believer rechart his or her financial course? Need some guidance yourself? This summer, I read what appears to me to be each of three ministries' best single book resource for Christians' personal financial management. Here's the author, title, and website link to each along with my brief assessment of its strengths and weaknesses or best applications (in alphabetical order by author): Ron Blue, Master Your Money (2004), http://www.ronblue.com/ Blue’s Financial Planning Process offers steps to rise from one’s current status to achieve long-term goals. It's a comprehensive, biblically based plan for Christians at all financial levels. Some may find its terms and detailed schedules overwhelming. He doesn't offer as many nuts-and-bolts of balancing one's budget, but, as a CPA, it's probably my favorite of the three. Website: Points to resources available at Amazon.com; personal financial recovery is not its ma...